SINGAPOREAN prosecutors are seeking a longer jail term for a 32-year-old man who killed two cats and abused three others, calling it one of the country’s worst cases of animal cruelty.
Barrie Lin Pengli, who admitted to three counts of animal cruelty in October 2024, targeted Ang Mo Kio due to its cat population, seeking them out when frustrated, The Straits Times reported.
His abuse, which spanned nearly two years, began with kicking cats before escalating to sealing them in bags.
On April 21, 2020, he threw a cat from the 12th floor of Block 572 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3, killing it instantly.
Less than a month later, on May 15, 2020, he threw another cat from the eighth floor of Block 645 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.
Finding it still alive, he stomped on its neck, killing it. An onlooker witnessed the act and reported him, leading to his arrest.
Lin received psychiatric treatment between December 2020 and June 2021, showing improvement and securing full-time employment in November 2021.
However, he reoffended the next month after a Christmas gathering, slamming a cat against a void deck wall.
The cat, which was heard screaming in pain, survived with multiple fractures and was treated by community feeders.
He was sentenced to 14 months in jail on Feb 7 and began serving his term on Feb 11, but prosecutors have appealed for a 24-month sentence, arguing the current term is too light.
Deputy principal district judge Kessler Soh described Lin’s actions as “abhorrent” but found the requested term “somewhat excessive” compared to similar cases.
Both prosecution and defence filed appeals on Feb 11, with defence lawyer Azri Imran Tan stating their appeal was in response to the prosecution’s.
According to National Parks Board (NParks) group director of enforcement and investigation Jessica Kwok, about 1,200 animal cruelty reports are received annually, with fewer than 6% confirmed as actual cases from 2019 to 2024.
First-time offenders face up to 18 months in jail and fines up to $15,000 (RM50,000) per charge. Lin’s sentence also includes a one-year ban on animal ownership after his release.
